The present invention relates generally to collapsible structures and specifically to a collapsible container for use by pets.
Certain devices are known in the art to provide an enclosure or structure for temporarily containing or for transporting a pet or other objects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,895 to Hoagland teaches a portable pet carrier having a top portion, a middle section and a bottom portion made primarily from a molded synthetic material, with the top portion having a handle-like structure for carrying the assembled pet carrier and the middle portion having holes for ventilation and a door or window-like structure for placing a pet in or removing a pet from the carrier. Other pet enclosures are known in the art to be collapsible. These devices commonly have a square footprint and a domed configuration, which creates a pet enclosure that is larger than necessary because of unutilized space. As the size of the enclosure increases, its cost increases and its integrity decreases.
The prior art pet enclosures are voluminous in their expanded state, are either non-collapsible or are uneasy to fold or collapse, are still relatively voluminous in their collapsed state, and are difficult to manipulate. These configurations require more space, consume more materials, and require stronger collapsible framing than are necessary to efficiently contain or transport pets or other objects. The present invention solves the above-mentioned shortcomings and provides a convenient, easy to manipulate, and more efficiently sized ergonomic enclosure for containing and transporting pets or other objects.